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Inspiration

Anything alive (that is healthy) – grows! You may have seasons where parts of you die and grow dormant while you rejuvenate, but those seasons should be finite – NOT a way of life. We all desire greatness. Greatness is a process and during that process you learn what you need to get to the next level.

I entered 2012 in a blasé mood. I’d been working on my goals for the New Year over the past 2 months. I began working with an excellent executive coach who has helped me strategize as I plan to achieve my next set of goals. I’ve spent today cleaning and thinking more about plans and working on plans – knowing I was encroaching upon the hidden resistance of planning & researching. At some point, you just have to stop planning or researching and EXECUTE.

Michigan State went into halftime scoreless against the University of Georgia in today’s Outback Bowl. I’ve been a Spartan for over 20 years. I love that school. I love being a Spartan. But even I had my doubts of their ability to come back and win. I began thinking next year how we can be in the 2013 Rose Bowl if the BCS gets their act together. Maybe I’d have a Gumbo gathering at my house to watch the Rose Bowl. I was planning when we were still in execution.

Spartans did come back to win the Outback Bowl in triple overtime. Our first bowl game in over a decade. I don’t follow football enough to comment on the equality of the matchup, but I can say from the battle that ensued the second half both these teams had equal heart and determination. We just had MORE! Watching my alma mater fight and engage the other team lit a fire in my soul and that fire illuminated the needs to focus and know the season I’m in (to plan or to execute). Well done Michigan State and Coach Dantonio!

It is time to execute and battle through all resistance. I hope this year brings you much more than expected. Happy New Year!

The past 3-4 months I’ve experienced profound change. I purchased my first home. As things have settled down after the move, I had been telling myself that I need to ‘get back into my old routine.’ I found my old habits were no longer there. I didn’t realize how dependent I was on habits and routines to feel secure. Yet trying to get back to normal was escaping me.

William Bridges states in “Managing Transitions”: “It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions” He goes on to share that change is situation, but transition is psychological. Transition is how we deal with change. My desire to “get back into my old routine” was me resisting the change that had occur. The change was a good change and a change I chose to do. I underestimated the need to adapt.

Adapting is simply defined as “to make fit often by modification” I’ve committed to adapting and creating a new normal. Modifying old habits and starting new routines is now fun. Now the transition is going much smoother.

It is ironic that those of us who are change agents at work are often the ones who find it difficult to deal with change. My thought in handling the transitions in your life:

Change can be sudden or planned, regardless never underestimate its impact.

Give yourself ample time to grieve the old and plan the new.

Know there are unknown. You can only prepare for the unknowns by committing to being a learner